Kelly Slater today won his 10th World Title. By making the semi-finals of the Rip Curl Search event in Puerto Rico, the second-last event of the season, Slater has claimed an unassailable lead in this years title race.

In 3-to-4 foot waves at Middles he overcame Adriano de Souza in their Quarter Final heat to eliminate Jordy Smith from the title race. Irrespective of the results Smith achieves here or in the final competition, the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii, he cannot overtake Slater.

The 38 year-old Floridian, who has won three events this year, will almost certainly retire after the Pipeline Masters bookmarking his career with title wins in his first year on tour (1992) and last. In his 19 year professional career Slater has broken many records: the most tour victories (44), the youngest to win a world title (20 y.o), the oldest to win a world title (38 y.o), and the most world titles.

Slater's standing as the greatest surfer ever was assured long ago. After all, he holds six more world titles than the second-most succesful surfer, Australian Mark Richards. This title, it seemed, had more to do with aesthetics than mere achievement. It was the difference between single digits and double. The ordinary and the auspicious. That it's 10 in 2010 gives it added symmetry.

His domination of surfing puts him in a class of athelete such as Lance Armstrong and Michael Jordan. Atheletes who, by virtue of their overwhelming success, have managed to transcend their sport and become household names.

Although Slater has dominated professional surfing for two decades he hasn't been without fierce rivals. In the early part of his career, established surfers such as Gary Elkerton and Martin Potter, saw the threat of Slater's new aerial approach and marked him hard. Never has a rookie got the old guard so fired up.

During the mid-to-late 1990's, with the likes of Elkerton and Potter retired, Sunny Garcia was Slater's main competitive foe. The two had some incredible duels that brought out the best in both of them. Garcia, however, simply didn't have the versatility to beat Slater in all conditions and the only world title Garcia won was in 2000 while Slater was taking a short break from the sport.

That break lasted from 1999 to 2001. Upon Slater's return it was the Hawaiian, Andy Irons, who took the fight to him. Irons will be known as the surfer who pushed Slater the hardest. Their bouts at Pipeline, Jeffreys Bay and Teahupoo remain the highwater mark of professional surfing.

It speaks volumes of Slater that all of his rivals, some who harboured much enmity toward him during their professional career, became close friends afterward. Slater is the Godfather of Sunny Garcia's eldest son, and Slater and Irons recently made a feature film 'Fly in the Champagne' that chronicled their once-venomous but now mutually-respectful rivalry.

If there is to be any low note on Slater's win it will be the recent death of Irons who was still competing on the world tour and rated 16th. His unexpected death this week has shaken the surfing community and will lend a sombre note to the celebrations of Slater's achievement.

STOP PRESS: Kelly Slater went on to win the Rip Curl Search event in Puerto Rico taking his tour victories to 45. In the final, against Australian Bede Durbidge, Slater fittingly scored a 10 point ride. He dedicated his title win to Andy Irons.